ChickenHawk
Silver Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
LEGACY MEMBER
MEMBER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Note: Rather than posting this info my progress thread (https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...kenhawks-self-published-fiction-ebooks.47885/), this seemed to deserve a thread of its own, because it's more of a "how to."
As a reader, I love audio books, and listen to them all the time. As an author, I was looking for a way to boost the income from my existing self-pubbed books by adding audio versions to the mix. To accomplish this, I ended up going through ACX. Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea ACX existed, so I thought other self-pubbers might like a quick summary...
Here's a Brief Summary of How ACX Works
What is ACX? It's an Amazon company that hooks up authors and voice artists/production studios. The final product is an audio book that can be sold on Audible and ITunes.
How does it Work: If you're an author, you fill out some basic online forms that provide information about your book, what kind of narrator you'd like, and what rate you're willing to pay. You also upload a small sample of your book. Voice artists will use this excerpt as an audition script. If you like a particular narrator, you make them an offer. If they accept, they go off and produce your book for you.
Paying the Narrator: There are two options.
Sadly, ACX just reduced their commission structure earlier this year. Until this change, authors could earn a commission of up to 90%. Now, it's a flat 40%. Still, considering you can get your book on Audible and ITunes, this isn't half bad considering they handle so many of the logistics. One of the big downsides to this change, though, is that fewer narrators are willing to do the royalty split.
Also, if you want an Audible approved narrator, it will probably cost you more. I'm not sure exactly what this means, but I paid more for one who was audible approved because I didn't want to take any chances.
If you want more info, you can get it at www.acx.com.
My books are still in production, so I can't say how well the entire process will go. But I can say that the initial steps were very easy.
As a reader, I love audio books, and listen to them all the time. As an author, I was looking for a way to boost the income from my existing self-pubbed books by adding audio versions to the mix. To accomplish this, I ended up going through ACX. Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea ACX existed, so I thought other self-pubbers might like a quick summary...
Here's a Brief Summary of How ACX Works
What is ACX? It's an Amazon company that hooks up authors and voice artists/production studios. The final product is an audio book that can be sold on Audible and ITunes.
How does it Work: If you're an author, you fill out some basic online forms that provide information about your book, what kind of narrator you'd like, and what rate you're willing to pay. You also upload a small sample of your book. Voice artists will use this excerpt as an audition script. If you like a particular narrator, you make them an offer. If they accept, they go off and produce your book for you.
Paying the Narrator: There are two options.
- Option #1. Pay Up-Front: You can pay the narrator/producer outright based on an hourly rate for your finished book. For example, if you agree to pay them $300 an hour for a finished book, and your finished book is eight hours long, you will owe them $2,400.
- Option #2: Royalty split: If your book shows a lot of promise, a narrator may be willing to produce your book on a royalty-split basis. Basically, you'd provide your book's content, and they'd provide the voice and production. Then, once it's done and available for sale, you split the audio book royalties 50/50. What this means is you have zero cost to produce your audio book, but you'll be sharing the profits with someone else.
Sadly, ACX just reduced their commission structure earlier this year. Until this change, authors could earn a commission of up to 90%. Now, it's a flat 40%. Still, considering you can get your book on Audible and ITunes, this isn't half bad considering they handle so many of the logistics. One of the big downsides to this change, though, is that fewer narrators are willing to do the royalty split.
Also, if you want an Audible approved narrator, it will probably cost you more. I'm not sure exactly what this means, but I paid more for one who was audible approved because I didn't want to take any chances.
If you want more info, you can get it at www.acx.com.
My books are still in production, so I can't say how well the entire process will go. But I can say that the initial steps were very easy.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Last edited by a moderator:
Access Restricted: Unlock 1,000,000+ Posts
Stop Peeking Through the Keyhole.
Open the Door.
You hit a wall because the best advice isn't free—it's earned. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been active here daily (99.9% active rate), building a war room for entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for mediocrity.
- Active Daily: Life-changing content posted dozens of times every day. No dead threads.
- MJ's Inner Circle: Direct access to the author of The Millionaire Fastlane.
- Vetted Network: Connect with founders scaling to 7 and 8 figures.
- Proven Roadmaps: Strategy over motivation. Execution over "hustle porn."
"SCALED TO 6-FIGURE MONTHS"
"Tips and advice here saved me from huge mistakes, others allowed me to scale my business to 6-figure months."— User MitchC
"INSANE QUALITY OF PEOPLE"
"The number of high quality people I've met from this forum has been insane. All of it predicated on building real value."— User Richard Peck
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with."
Are you surrounding yourself with success?
